Earthworks CMK4 Users Manual

CMK4
CMK5

CloseMic™ Kit

User’s Guide

Congratulations on your purchase of the Earthworks® CMK4 or CMK5 kit of
DM20 DrumMic™ Tom & Snare Microphones. When using these microphones
on your toms and snare, you will hear more detail in the attack in addition to
hearing subtle details that cannot be heard when using conventional micro­phones. You will walk into a whole new world of pristine drum sound using the

DM20 DrumMic™ High Denition Microphones™. After reading this manual,

if you have any unanswered questions, please email or phone us using the
contact information on the back cover of this manual.

First, identify all the items that came in your CMK4 or CMK5 kit to verify
that you have received everything listed below.

CMK4 CloseMic™ Kit CMK5 CloseMic™ Kit

4 – DM20s for Toms & Snare 5 – DM20s for Toms & Snare

4 – RM1 RimMount™ for DM20s 5 – RM1 RimMount™ for DM20s

4 – PW1 Foam Windscreens 5 – PW1 Foam Windscreens

1 – High Impact Carrying Case 1 – High Impact Carrying Case
with custom foam insert with custom foam insert

1 – Users Manual 1 – Users Manual

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Please Read This

The DM20’s High SPL Handling and Lower Output Level

The DM20 has been designed for close miking toms and snares with high SPL
handling of 150dB and a reduced output level. In most cases the DM20 will
not require the use of a pad to prevent overloading the input of outboard mi­crophone preamps, or the mic preamp inputs on mixers, consoles or computer
audio interfaces. The majority of these units will accommodate high microphone
levels at the preamp input without distortion. However, the more sensitive units
will not handle high mic levels at the preamp input will require the use of a pad
to prevent the preamp from distorting. We encourage you to check the speci­cations of your preamp, mixer, console or computer audio interface to verify that
the microphone preamp input will accommodate high levels of approximately
+20dBV.

Different Types of Preamp Input Pads

Some outboard preampliers, mixers or consoles may have a built-in mic preamp

pad that can be switched in or out. However, on some models these pads are

not attenuators that precede the preamplier input and just reduce the gain of the
preamplier itself. Unless these preampliers will handle a high input level (i.e.

Version 1, August 15, 2017

1

A

B

This so-called pad, is not really a pad,
it only changes the gain of the preamp,
and may not prevent overload of the
preamp input.

Figure 1-A and 1-B Types of Preamp Input Pads

This is an actual microphone preamp
pad, which is an attenuator that will
reduce level prior to the preamp input.

+20dBV) these so-called pads will typically provide no preamp input overload

protection from microphones with high output levels (see Fig. 1-A). Some out-

board preamps, mixers, consoles or computer audio interfaces have actual pads

that precede the preamplier input. These types of pads will provide preamp input
overload protection that is needed (see Fig. 1-B). Such pads will typically provide

–10dB or –20dB attenuation. If an external XLR type mic pad is needed, Earth­works offers a LevelPad™ which provides -20dB of attenuation and is simply
plugged into the microphone cable. The DM20’s lower output level, in most cases,
should not require an external pad when close-miking toms or snares.

Earthworks Drum Mics

The Earthworks DrumKit™ High Denition Three-Microphone Systems™ have
had great success because they pick up drum sounds with far more detail and
accuracy than conventional microphones. This improved sound quality is due to
Earthworks® advanced proprietary technologies.

Many drummers such as Jeff Campitelli with Joe Satriani, Steve Gadd, Keith

Carlock, Ronnie Vannucci, Anton Fig, Anthony King and many top FOH engi­neers touring with major artists are using Earthworks High Denition Drum Mi-

crophones™ for overheads, toms, snare and kick drum with exceptional results.

The DM20 is a new generation of Earthworks tom and snare microphones. It
features a stable gooseneck for easy positioning that will stay in place even
when the drums are played very hard. It also can handle high acoustic sound
levels up to 150dB SPL. The Earthworks proprietary polar technology pro­vides a stunning amount of rear rejection and a frequency response out to
80 degrees off-axis within 3dB of the on-axis response. This vastly reduces
phase cancellations, minimizes the pickup of unwanted sounds at the rear of
the microphone and provides significantly more gain before feedback for live
sound applications.

2

Earthworks High Definition Microphones

™

the New Science in Microphones

David Blackmer, the brilliant engineer who invented the innovative technol-

ogies of dbx, is also the inventor and founder of Earthworks. In the last few
years of his life, David developed a number of revolutionary technologies that
dramatically improve the sound quality and performance of microphones. In
short, Earthworks High Definition Microphones™ pick up sounds more accu­rately and with more detail than conventional microphones. These dramatic
improvements are in the areas of impulse response, diaphragm settling time
and advanced polar technologies. Those who have heard Earthworks High
Definition Microphones™ say they have more rear rejection and more gain
before feedback in addition to hearing more detail of the attack, more subtle
detail from low level signals thereby providing a more pristine sound quality
than with any conventional microphones can provide, regardless of price.

Miking Drums

There are many ways to mic drums and it seems that most every recording or live

sound engineer has their own way of doing this. Our objective is not to indicate

which drum miking approach is better, but to make suggestions and look at ad­vantages and disadvantages of each. Every engineer or producer uses their own
methods to obtain the results they desire, and that’s what matters.

Multi-microphone Method

The objective in multi-microphone drum miking is to place a separate micro­phone on most or all the elements of a drum set. Typically, separate mics are
used on snare, toms, hi-hat and kick drum, along with one or two overhead
microphones. The overhead mics pick up the overall sound of the drum set

including cymbals (which are typically not miked separately). By this method,
the mixing engineer can control the level, and signal processing (limiting, EQ,
etc.) for each element of the drum set (toms, snare, hi-hat, etc.). This provides

a great deal of control over the sound of the entire drum set and allows bring­ing out certain patterns on hi-hat, snare, etc. Multi-miked drums are desirable
for live sound, providing more control and increased gain before feedback,
and when recording in a large room with high ambient sound this reduces the
amount of unwanted room sound and provides greater control of the drum mix.

Earthworks Near-Perfect Polar Response

One of Earthwork’s proprietary technologies is near-perfect polar response

i.e. very uniform response over the front 160º of the microphone. Conventional

microphones (even expensive ones) have a loss of high frequencies at the

sides of the microphone. Have you ever tried to put three singers on a single

3

directional microphone? The singer at the front of the mic sounds great, but
the two on the sides of the microphone sound muffled due to the lack of high
frequency pickup at the sides of the microphone. In contrast, the Earthworks
proprietary polar technology provides virtually the same frequency response
on the sides of the microphone as at the front with no more than a 3dB loss at
any specified frequency out to 80º off-axis). This extremely uniform frequency
response at the front and sides of the microphone dramatically reduces phasing

issues when using Earthworks microphones. Refer to Figure 2 A & B to see

how uniform the Earthworks microphone (A) polar response is, in comparison
to the conventional microphone (B).

A

Within 3dB

500Hz to

16kHz

DM20 Polar

B

Conventional Polar

Within 12dB

500Hz to

15kHz &

Within18dB

to 20kHz

500
1K
2K

5K

10K
15K
20K

Figure 2-A & 2-B Earthworks vs. Conventional Polar Response

Nearly Twice the Amount of Rear Rejection

Another disadvantage of the multi-microphone approach is picking up the un­wanted sound of other elements of the drum set from the rear of each micro­phone. Earthworks cardioid microphones have a very high rejection of sounds
at the rear of the microphone. This greatly reduces the leakage of cymbals
or other drum sounds at the rear of Earthworks microphones. Convention­al microphones provide only 18dB of rear rejection, while Earthworks micro­phones with 32dB of rear rejection provide nearly twice the amount of rejection
of conventional microphones. The Earthworks drum mics will nearly eliminate
any leakage present at the rear of the microphone. Figure 3 shows conven­tional drum microphones with 18dB of rear rejection and Figure 4 shows the
Earthworks drum microphones with 32dB of rear rejection.

4

Competitive
Microphones
Approx 18dB
Rear Rejection

Figure 3 18dB of Rear Rejection Using Conventional Drum Mics

Earthworks
Microphones
Approx 32dB
Rear Rejection

Figure 4 32dB of Rear Rejection Using Earthworks Drum Mics

5

Close Miking Toms and Snares with the
DM20 DrumMic™ Microphones

Inserting the DM20 Microphone into the RM1 RimMount

The RM1 is designed specifically for the DM20 allowing you to mount the mi­crophone on the side of a tom or snare. The RM1 can also be used on the top
or bottom of a tom or snare.

It is suggested that you insert the DM20 microphone into the RM1 RimMount™
prior to attaching the RimMount™ to the drum.

To insert the DM20 microphone into the RM1 just place the mic head and the
gooseneck into the rubber holder from the bottom of the RimMount™. Push on

the body of the microphone from the bottom (XLR connector end) to move the

microphone up inside the rubber holder. The fit will be firm, so you will need to
apply a little pressure to move the microphone body up into the rubber holder.
The suggested procedure is shown in Figure 5.

1 2 3 4

Figure 5 Inserting the DM20 DrumMic™ into the RimMount™

Mounting the RM1 RimMount™ to the Drum

The RM1 RimMount™ is designed for metal drum rims, and will not work on

wooden drum rims. Attaching the RimMount to the drum rim is quite easy.
While reading this section, please refer to Figure 6-A, which shows the various

elements of the RimMount™. First, loosen the thumbscrew so there is more
than enough space for the Delrin® cushioned rim-guide to clear the bottom of
the drum rim. Then determine where on the drum rim you want to position the
microphone and place the top “hook portion” of the RimMount bracket over the
desired place on the drum rim.

6

Hook Portion

of Bracket

Soft Polyolen® Coated

Metal Bracket

Rubber

Holder

Delrin®

Cushioned Rim-guide

Thumbscrew

Figure 6-A. Elements of the RM1 RimMount™

Referring to Figure 6-B, notice that on the Delrin® cushioned rim-guide there
are two sets of grooves. One groove is in the “center” of the rim-guide (1),

while the other groove (2 & 3) is “off center” (or closer to the edge of the rim-

guide). These two sets of grooves provide you with “three” mounting options:

(A) using the “off center” rim-guide groove will place it closest to the drum
shell, (B) or rotating the “off center” groove 180 degrees will place the rim­guide furthest away from the drum shell, and (C) the “center” groove will allow
placement in-between the positions (A) and (B).

1

Centered

Groove

2

Offset Groove

Positioned

on Left

3

Offset Groove

Positioned

on Right

Figure 6-B Positioning the Cushioned Rim-guide

Various types of metal drum rims have the bottom flange of the rim either

closer or further from the drum shell. One of the three positions (A, B or C

previously mentioned) will allow the RimMount™ bracket to be mounted par­allel to the drum shell. Position the rim-guide so the bottom edge “flange” of
the drum rim fits comfortably into one of the RM-1 rim-guide grooves. This will
ensure that the cushioned rim-guide remains securely in place as you tighten
the thumbscrew to firmly secure the RM-1 to the drum rim. The soft protective
Polyolefin® coating on the RimMount™ bracket will prevent the possibility of
scratching the drum shell finish.

7

Adjusting the Microphone Height

Once the RimMount™ is mounted securely on the drum rim with the DM20

microphone housed in the rubber holder, the microphone body can be moved
either up or down in the rubber holder to provide the desired height. Then
the gooseneck will provide a good amount of latitude in positioning the mi-

crophone head from any microphone body height. Adjusting the height of the
DM20 microphone body is indicated in Figure 7-A and 7-B.

A

Figure 7-A and 7-B Adjusting the DM20 Microphone Height

B

Positioning the Microphone Head

Once the DM20 microphone height has been set, you can position the micro­phone head. It is suggested that the microphone head be positioned between

1.5 inches and 3 inches above the drumhead. The flexible gooseneck will allow
you to move the microphone head either up or down above the drumhead
as well as in and out from the drum rim. You can also change the angle of

the microphone head as shown in Figure 8-A. Figure 8-B shows how the

microphone head can be aimed more toward the center of the drum head by
changing the position of the gooseneck. Keep in mind that the microphone
head should never be placed “parallel” to the drumhead, but should always
be at “an angle” to the drumhead. This will prevent the microphone diaphragm
being forced to its backplate which could cause an unwanted pop or thump in
the live sound or recording system.

8

Figure 8-A & 8-B

Positioning the

Microphone Head

A

B

The High Acoustic Sound Levels of Close Miked Drums

In close miking drums, one should keep in mind that the acoustic sound level
at the microphone head is extremely high. Microphones used for close miking
drums should be able to handle at least 140dB SPL in order to prevent audible
distortion. The DM20 DrumMic™ handles up to 150dB SPL. With these high
sound pressure levels, the DM20 microphone output level may be as much as
+15dBV which can overload some types of microphone preamplifier inputs. In­serting the Earthworks XLR type LP20 LevelPad™ into the microphone cable
will provide -20dB of attenuation to help prevent any distortion or overload. For
full information refer to pages 1 and 2 of this manual.

Close Miking Snare Drums with the DM20

The DM20 has been optimized for miking toms and snare. With its frequency
response of 50Hz to 20kHz, it will provide a full and fat sound from your toms
and a nice crisp sound from your snare. If you feel that there is still too much low

frequency response when miking a snare, use either a high-pass lter set some­where between 60Hz and 100Hz or a low frequency equalizer (EQ) to attenuate
(i.e. cut) a few dB in the area of 60Hz to 100Hz for the desired results.

9

The DM20 can be used on either the top drumhead, bottom drumhead or both.
Figure 9-A shows the DM20 placed over the top drumhead of a snare, while Fig­ure 9-B shows a snare drum with both the top and bottom heads miked.

A

Figure 9-A and 9-B Miking the Top or Top & Bottom of a Snare

B

Close Miking Toms with the DM20

The extended low frequency response of the DM20 DrumMic™ will provide a
rich and full tom sound. You can mike either the top or bottom head of a tom with

the DM20 as indicated in Figure 10 A or B, or you can mike both the bottom and

top drumheads in a similar fashion as shown on a snare in Figure 9-B.

You will notice in Figure 10-A the microphone head is placed closer to the drum

rim, while in Figure 10-B the microphone head is aimed toward the center of the
drumhead by changing the position of the gooseneck. Experiment with the mi­crophone head placement as the sound or tone can change with various place­ments.

Earthworks High Denition Microphones™ are widely used successfully by drum­mers with major artists in both recording sessions and for live performance. The
DM20 is designed to withstand the rigors of the road and will provide you with
many years of exceptional and reliable results. We know that when you use the
Earthworks DM20 DrumMics™ for your recording and live performances you will
be thrilled with the results.

10

A

Figure 10-A and 10-B Miking the Top Head of a Tom

We are pleased to welcome you to our ever-growing family of drummers and sound

engineers using Earthworks High Denition Microphones™ for recording and live

sound.

We hope the suggestions in this manual have been benecial to you. Don’t be

afraid to experiment with mic placement. You can be as creative with your micro­phone placement as you are with your music. You are the judge of what works
best and sounds best.

If you have any questions, or require any additional information, feel free to
contact Earthworks directly using the contact information on the back cover of
this manual and don’t forget to register your warranty information on the Earth-

works website, (see information below).

B

EARTHWORKS WARRANTY

All Earthworks® products carry a limited warranty (parts and labor).

Please register your warranty at www.earthworksaudio.com/register
If you have any problems with your Earthworks products, please contact
our warranty/repair department by email at

[e-mail] or by telephone at [phone], ext 119.

11

NOTES:

12

DM20

with RM1 RimMount™

DM20 DrumMic

for Toms & Snare

Frequency response

Polar Pattern

Sensitivity

Power requirements

Peak acoustic input

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Output

Output Impedance

Minimum output load

Noise

Dimensions L & D

Gooseneck L & D

Weight

™

50Hz to 20kHz + 2dB @ 6” (15cm)
Cardioid

8

mV/Pa (-42dBV/Pa)

24-48V Phantom @ 10mA

1

50dB SPL

74dB A-weighted

XLR (PIN 2+)

200Ω bal. (between pins 2 &3 )

1,000Ω, balanced
between pins 2&3

20dB (A-weighted)

11.12 inches (282.44mm)
.860 inches (22mm)

Length 4.75 inches (120.65mm)
Diameter .375 inches (9.53mm)

.25k

.55lb (

g)

DM20
Polar
Response

Made in U.S.A.

Earthworks, Inc. • 37 Wilton Rd. • Milford, NH 03055

603-654-2433 • www.earthworksaudio.com

email: [e-mail] • Printed in U.S.A.